Nautical-themed hybrid swimming pool with raised spa, sunshelf, slide, grotto, and pizza oven (September 2013) – Ask the Pool Guy and his team at Legendary Escapes recently unveiled the newest Legendary Escape, a stunning nautical-themed hybrid swimming pool. The hand-carved concrete waterfall, rock slide, and grotto are the focal point of this incredible project, and designer and builder Al Curtis has truly outdone himself this time. Behind the waterfall sits a grotto that seats 8-10 people comfortably. The waterfall, slide, and grotto area come complete with intricate details and additions that perfectly play into the project’s theme. An immense amount of creativity, talent, and skill is required to take ordinary materials like vinyl and concrete and turn them into the outstanding backyards that Curtis creates, but these details allow his creativity to shine in a different light. Curtis immerses himself completely in just one or two projects at a time, which allows him the opportunity to add those intricate details that take his extraordinary projects to the next level. Some of the details in the grotto area of this hybrid project include real ship portholes that open and close, as well as carvings and lanterns to add visual interest inside of the grotto. The project also includes a raised spillover spa and a sunshelf with a bubbling water feature. The sunshelf has steps leading into the main body of the pool, giving swimmers an easy entry point if they don’t feel the urge to jump off the top of the waterfall or take a ride down the hand-carved, hand-tiled slide. The shelf has just enough water to allow shallow wading or lounging, and the pebbled finish provides a perfect place to set a lounge chair without worrying about damaging the vinyl liner. With the spa nearby, this whole end of the pool is perfect for relaxing, talking, or watching the kids while they swim. This incredible hybrid swimming pool also includes a poolside pizza oven, so fresh, stone-fired pizza is never far away. The brick oven can cook a pizza in about 90 seconds, and produces authentic, outstanding pizzas. The homeowners have spent years perfecting their pizza crust and sauce recipes, as well as growing their own tomatoes and basil. The pizza oven adds another element of their own personality, and makes this project even more perfect for them. With a built-in countertop, it’s easy to get a couple of pies going at one time, or to prep ingredients for personal pizzas. The homeowners are very family-oriented and love to have friends and family over to their home. During the construction process, the Legendary Escapes crew met several friends and family members who stopped in for some quality time and to check out the progress of the pool. The finished product is a perfect place for entertaining, and it feels very comfortable and welcoming. With the sunshelf, spa, grotto, poolside seating, and the pool itself, there are plenty of different places to sit or soak and have conversations or splash around. Curtis is incredibly proud of this project, and he has high hopes for it. He was recently named a Master of Design by Pool & Spa News for a hybrid swimming pool he built in Brighton, MI. This new, nautical hybrid pool fits in beautifully with his portfolio, but also stands out as extraordinary. The team at Legendary Escapes anticipates positive feedback and recognition for this project, and looks forward to building more swimming pools that push the envelope and wow clients and fans.

adam pass
Home design - rustic home design idea in New York

Backyard survey of deck, screened in porch with pool house tucked below the porch. Design: Andrea Hickman of A.HICKMAN Design; Construction: Greg Deans of Decks with Style; Photography: Andrea Hickman

A country club respite for our busy professional Bostonian clients. Our clients met in college and have been weekending at the Aquidneck Club every summer for the past 20+ years. The condos within the original clubhouse seldom come up for sale and gather a loyalist following. Our clients jumped at the chance to be a part of the club's history for the next generation. Much of the club’s exteriors reflect a quintessential New England shingle style architecture. The internals had succumbed to dated late 90s and early 2000s renovations of inexpensive materials void of craftsmanship. Our client’s aesthetic balances on the scales of hyper minimalism, clean surfaces, and void of visual clutter. Our palette of color, materiality & textures kept to this notion while generating movement through vintage lighting, comfortable upholstery, and Unique Forms of Art. A Full-Scale Design, Renovation, and furnishings project.

Sound, color, light, texture, and all points in between. This one-of-a-kind Selah Pools design is truly an Oasis for all seasons. The patio extension with all the outdoor kitchen amenities is ready to serve up a great meal, just steps outside our client's backdoor. Then when it's hot outside, it's on to the pool deck and off the custom tile- jump rock to cool off.

Reid Schindler
Inspiration for a transitional pool remodel in Dallas

This project began right after the homeowners moved in. The only furnishings re-used were the beautiful rugs collected over time and travels. The goal was to create a welcoming space for family and friends to gather. We used the rugs as a jumping off point, choosing colourful fabrics and themes that reflect a global aesthetic. Living Room tables were carefully chosen to be individual pieces while allowing the rug to show through. The custom wall unit was designed by Teresa for the homeowners' many books and collectibles as well as the TV, and was built by Ian Schroeder of Forest Hill Woodwork and Cabinetry. Benches were added under the windows to maximize seating for larger gatherings. Photos by Kelly Horkoff, kwestimages.com

Our clients priority was to have a more functional bathroom & optimize storage. See our project scope: -Change the tub faucet location, before they had to “jump” over it to get in and out the tub. -Change the shower head to a handheld spray. -New ceiling recessed lights layout -Add a LED Mirror and Wall Sconces -Floor Heating System -Towel Warmer -Quartz/Solid Surface Tub Deck and Shower Bench -Add a Shampoo Niche -Linear Shower Drain -Custom Floating Vanity w/ (2) Towers for additional storage and convenient access to skin care and daily used products. -Wall Mounted Faucets to clear up vanity space. -Exhaust Fan w/ Bluetooth Speaker And more. This master bathroom has everything they needed and more, not to mention the stunning finishes and eye catching wall tiles. Interior Designer: Vivian Costa General Contractor: Weslei Costa

This homeowner had a design challenge for our team. They were looking for something completely unique and special for their back yard. In a neighborhood with "nice" pools they didn't want something ordinary. Our designer/builder, Al Curtis, proposed something completely new. He proposed a swimming pool, built freeform, gunite, with a raised waterfall spilling, finished with the same quartzite coping as the pool, over into the pool, with a swim in grotto and a boat as a seating area at the deep end of the pool. His original idea had him taking an actual boat, reclaiming and reusing it to create this custom feature. The homeowners had other ideas once they heard his crazy cool idea, and asked if he could build it out of concrete. Of course, Al and our entire team was thrilled with the challenge, and hand crafted the boat you see entirely out of concrete, hand shaped, sculpted and molded the cement to form with such attention to detail that you can't tell from a distance that it is not a real boat hovering at the deep end of this pool! The boat was finished with a few reclaimed details from the actual boat it was modeled after...since details are just a part of the surprise and delight in a Legendary Escape, they add just the right elements to make this a very real experience. The homeowner also asked for a different type of coping next to the raised spillover gunite spa, to create the illusion of a swim up bar on the edge of the pool. The pool guy took this idea, raised the pool wall, added a custom poured concrete bar, and added a swim up ledge and in-pool bar stools with seats created out of concrete and stainless steel stands. The perfect custom features, finished with the thermoplastic of ecoFinish, the newest and best trend for a smoother more comfortable swimming surface for gunite pools, spas, sun ledges and seats that we use on our Michigan custom swimming pools, whether hybrid (vinyl liner/gunite combo) or all gunite swimming pools and spas. With the boat in place, it only made sense to create the outside of the grotto as if it were the boat house, for this one of a kind speedboat. The waterfall coming over the face of the grotto has two speeds, fast and warp speed...so jumping off, swimming through the waterfall, or heading down the slide from the dock/wharf patio area adjacent to the boat is a terrific way for kids and adults to enjoy this pool! Swim into the grotto and you are immersed in a 3-dimensional cave, with carvings of fish in vibrant color hand sculpted and painted by Karen, one of our on the job artisans who is instrumental in helping bring our sculptures and always surprising elements to life. Karen has an artistic whimsy, though she is also precise and accurate as she specializes in placing the coping just right and always making sure the tile is just right on every project. To complete this project landscaping, the homeowners looked to Jodi Cook, of Naturally Jodi to create a landscape that blended with the pool area to create a unique feel for the space. She used a variety of plants, ornamental trees, and even created pillars like you would see at a marina to complete the look. Once her landscaping was in, Al added a surprise element at the end of the dock - a lifesize alligator with a fishing rod catching a fish - as just one more detail to this project. Al, and his entire team aim to create a magical environment, where around every corner is just one more surprise that completes the awe and inspiring joy when visiting on of our Legendary Escapes! To say the homeowners are delighted just may be an understatement. Their kick off party included visits from superheros and Disney characters - enjoying all the elements of this backyard retreat in Rochester, Michigan.

Photo courtesy Rand Realty/Jump Visual
Inspiration for a contemporary dining room remodel in New York

Learn seed starting basics and get a jump start on growing the flower garden of your dreams with the new book, Cut Flower Garden. In this striking guide you will find everything you need to grow, harvest, and arrange stunning seasonal blooms. With equal parts instruction and inspiration, Floret Farm’s Cut Flower Garden welcomes you into Erin Benzakein’s abundant, bloom-filled world, and is a feast for every flower lover’s eyes and soul. Floret Farm's Cut Flower Garden. Written by Erin Benzakein with Julie Chai. Photos by Michèle M. Waite. Published by Chronicle Books.

This lovely couple found us at the Home Show in Franklin, TN last October and instantly connected with us! They had planned to wait until after the husband retired in April but once they saw the renderings and how close to budget we were for all the things they wanted they decided to sign and start right away. We were able to complete everything before his retirement date! After years of hating their layout and double sinks (separated by countertop), a shallow pantry closet, dated thermafoil cabinets, and plenty of impractical small framed cabinets they jumped at the chance for frameless cabinets and a custom dry bar for their design that was meticulously planned to efficiently use every square inch of space. She even liked the SW Sea Salt wall color we suggested so much she painted the living room and powder room the same color! It has completely transformed not only the space but the feel of the whole house. It is fresh, light, and welcoming. Perfect for their Sunday family dinners!

We had always admired this early 1900's home, so when the chance to work with the new owners arrived we jumped at it. At the roadside, carefully dismantled and rebuilt dry stone columns and walling set the tone for the elegant property beyond. Large front lawns sculpted with sumptuous curves frame the deep garden beds rich with texture and flower where rhododendron, flowering dogwood, oakleaf hydrangea, goats beard and peony abound. The long narrow backyard uses an arbor to frame the view of the rear sitting area and a stunning iron masked water feature beyond. Plantings cascade over gorgeous dry stone walling while meticulously laid flagstone and rubble stonework are underfoot throughout. A sensual pleasure.

The decking is now slow-burning epay wood. When it does burn, it burns slowly, making it less likely to ignite the home. "Drought tolerant" Mediterranean plants were replaced with a mix of natives that better hold hydration and will not travel into nearby wild spaces. Readily visible here are Deer Grass, Purple Three Awn, and Cleveland Sage. Photo: Lesly Hall Photography

Utilized boulders for jumping platforms
Island style pool photo in Atlanta

This homeowner had a design challenge for our team. They were looking for something completely unique and special for their back yard. In a neighborhood with "nice" pools they didn't want something ordinary. Our designer/builder, Al Curtis, proposed something completely new. He proposed a swimming pool, built freeform, gunite, with a raised waterfall spilling, finished with the same quartzite coping as the pool, over into the pool, with a swim in grotto and a boat as a seating area at the deep end of the pool. His original idea had him taking an actual boat, reclaiming and reusing it to create this custom feature. The homeowners had other ideas once they heard his crazy cool idea, and asked if he could build it out of concrete. Of course, Al and our entire team was thrilled with the challenge, and hand crafted the boat you see entirely out of concrete, hand shaped, sculpted and molded the cement to form with such attention to detail that you can't tell from a distance that it is not a real boat hovering at the deep end of this pool! The boat was finished with a few reclaimed details from the actual boat it was modeled after...since details are just a part of the surprise and delight in a Legendary Escape, they add just the right elements to make this a very real experience. The homeowner also asked for a different type of coping next to the raised spillover gunite spa, to create the illusion of a swim up bar on the edge of the pool. The pool guy took this idea, raised the pool wall, added a custom poured concrete bar, and added a swim up ledge and in-pool bar stools with seats created out of concrete and stainless steel stands. The perfect custom features, finished with the thermoplastic of ecoFinish, the newest and best trend for a smoother more comfortable swimming surface for gunite pools, spas, sun ledges and seats that we use on our Michigan custom swimming pools, whether hybrid (vinyl liner/gunite combo) or all gunite swimming pools and spas. With the boat in place, it only made sense to create the outside of the grotto as if it were the boat house, for this one of a kind speedboat. The waterfall coming over the face of the grotto has two speeds, fast and warp speed...so jumping off, swimming through the waterfall, or heading down the slide from the dock/wharf patio area adjacent to the boat is a terrific way for kids and adults to enjoy this pool! Swim into the grotto and you are immersed in a 3-dimensional cave, with carvings of fish in vibrant color hand sculpted and painted by Karen, one of our on the job artisans who is instrumental in helping bring our sculptures and always surprising elements to life. Karen has an artistic whimsy, though she is also precise and accurate as she specializes in placing the coping just right and always making sure the tile is just right on every project. To complete this project landscaping, the homeowners looked to Jodi Cook, of Naturally Jodi to create a landscape that blended with the pool area to create a unique feel for the space. She used a variety of plants, ornamental trees, and even created pillars like you would see at a marina to complete the look. Once her landscaping was in, Al added a surprise element at the end of the dock - a lifesize alligator with a fishing rod catching a fish - as just one more detail to this project. Al, and his entire team aim to create a magical environment, where around every corner is just one more surprise that completes the awe and inspiring joy when visiting on of our Legendary Escapes! To say the homeowners are delighted just may be an understatement. Their kick off party included visits from superheros and Disney characters - enjoying all the elements of this backyard retreat in Rochester, Michigan.

The homeowners had wanted a house in the coveted North End neighborhood for many years. When their particular property came on the market 5-6 years earlier — complete with sweeping views, formal gardens, and beautiful trees — they jumped at the chance to be the next generation of caretakers of the historical home. For their master suite, they requested a serene & sophisticated elegance with a subtle chinoiserie bent for their new master bedroom that would be in keeping with the architectural style of the home.

Playful colors jump out from their white background, cozy outdoor spaces contrast with widescreen mountain panoramas, and industrial metal details find their home on light stucco facades. Elements that might at first seem contradictory have been combined into a fresh, harmonized whole. Welcome to Paradox Ranch. Photos by: J. Walters Photography

These clients wanted a total redo of their outdated bedroom. Having worked together before on the complete renovation of their family room, I was happy to deliver their dream for a master bedroom retreat. The custom wall paneling installation was the jumping off point for the rest of the design. Reflecting their love of antiques, but saving budget $$ for other areas, the iron headboard was purchased retail, then powder coated matte black giving us the look we wanted. I also created the triptych abstract framed art, sized to fit perfectly into the paneled wall squares. The diamond pattern bedspread is custom sized for their adjustable bed to drape just off the floor. The overall style is simple and elegant, in keeping with their clean uncluttered aesthetic. The bathroom was updated with a beautiful black and gold leaf patterned wallpaper that perfectly compliments their existing craftsman double vanity. I finished off the room with a light wall color that blends with the new carpeting.